Electric motor



W. H. TUCKER ELECTRIC MOTOR Nov. 2, 1937.

INVENTOR Filed Dec. l1, 1936 Wilmer Icker ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 2, 1937 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC MOTOR Wilmer H. Tucker, Canton, Ohio, asslgnor to The' Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio 'I'his invention relates to improvements in electric motors and more particularly to a new and improved mounting for the commutator brushes of an electric motor.

The primary object ofthe invention is to provide a mounting or support for the brush holder so that the brushes will at all times maintain a xed relation to the commutator regardless of the amount of distortion or vibration which may result from the various forces acting on the motor shaft.

And a further object of the invention is to prov'lde a resilient bearing for the commutator end of the armature shaft of an electric motor including a support for the brush holder so arranged as to respond to any vibratory movement of the commutator and thus eliminate such inequalities or irregularities in the brush contact as would result in uneven wear and consequent decreased brush life.

The novel features of the improved brush mounting are shown in detail in the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a general view in vertical cross section through the axis of an electric motor incorporated in a suction cleaner of the portable type and Figure 2 is a perspective view of the brush holder support per se as it appears when removed from the bearing assembly of which it forms a part.

As clearly shown in Figure 1, the motor I as a complete electrical unit is supported with its axis arranged vertically, upon a casing 2 provided with wheels 3 by which the cleaner is maneuvered over the surface to be cleaned. The motor is supported immediately over a shallowrecess or chamber 2a in which rotates a fan 4 suitably mounted upon Athe lower end of the armature shaft 5 of the motor and immediately below a plate 8 closing the upper end of the fan chamber 2a and forming the lower end wall of the motor. A dome-like hood or cover I encloses the motor I and is removably secured around its bottom edge to the periphery of the motor supporting plate 8.

'I'he forward end portion of the casing 2 constitutes the nozzle of the cleaner, having a downwardly facing suction mouth and within the nozzle is a rotative agitator 8 which is driven -through a belt .9 from a pulley I0 fixed to the extreme lower end of the armature shaft 5 and projecting downwardly through an annularropenv ing or eye la leading into the fan chamber from an air passage extending forwardly beneath said fan chamber to the nozzle chamber and formed in partby a removable bottom plate II. And, finally, the fan chamber 3 is extended rearwardly in the form of an exhaust passage which terminates in a flanged outlet I2 through which a dirt receiving bag Il is removably attached by means of suitable clamping bolts Il.

Referring now to the motor I the same may be assumed to be of a standard type, so far as its electrical make up and characteristics are concerned. Thus, the vertically arranged armature shaft 5 carries the armature or rotor I5 which is surrounded by the stationary ileld frame I6. Immediately above the armature I5 and adiacent the upper end of the armature shaft 5 is the commutator I1 and extending radially from the commutator in diametric alignment with eachother is a pair of tubular brush holders I8, I8 in which are mounted spring pressed brushes I9, I9. The mounting for these brush holders I8, I8 will presently be described in detail.

The upper end of the armature shaft projects a short distance beyond the commutator I1 and is supported in a bearing 20 of the ball type and which in turn is supported within a recess or cavity 2| formed centrally of the top wall of the motor frame 22 preferably having the form of a sheet metal housing completely enclosing the motor assembly and securely fastened around its lower ,flanged edge to the bottom plate 8. Immediately below the armature I5 is another ball bearing 23 seating in a retaining cavity or recess 2l formed centrally of the bottom plate 6. Mounted on an extension of the armature shaft below the bearing 23 is the fan 4 and agitator drive pulley I0 previously located and identied. A small ventilation fan 25 is mounted upon the armature shaft between the lower bearing 23 and the armature I5, its purpose being to maintain the circulation through the motor in a downward direction, the air entering through a slot 1a near the top of the motor cover 1, thence through a pair of .circular openings 26, 2B, (throughl which the outer ends of the brush holders I8, I8 also project) and passing downwardly between the armature and the ileld coils is finally exhausted through ports 22a in the frame 22 and outlet slots 'Ib near the bottom of the motor cover 1.

At this point it will be noted in connection with the ports 26, 28, near the top of the motor frame 22, that these are circular openingsv having a diameter somewhat greater than that of the brush holders I8, I8 and fitting into these enlarged ports are rings 28a of a suitable insu. latins material which surround the brush holders rounding. the ball bearing assembly and seatwith sumcient space between to provide not only an inlet for the motor cooling air, but to allow for considerabletransverse movement or vibration of the brush holders without contacting the edges of the ports.

Referring now to the lower armature shaft bearing it, the same is of the standard type consisting of an inner and outer race between which the bearing balls are retained. The only feature to be noted in connection with this lower end bearing is the presence of an annular ring 2l of rubber or other resilient .material suring snugly in the bearingr cavity 2t. With this arrangement a certain degree of resiliency is introduced into the bearing whereby any vibration that may occur in the amature shaft or any stresses tending to displace the shaft from its normal axis of rotation, is resisted and absorbed by the resilient ring or collar 2l.

The upper shaft bearing follows much the same design and arrangement as the lower bearing, comprising as it does a standard ball bearing 2t immediately surrounding the upper end of the armature shaft and encircling the bearing-is a solid ring of rubber or like resilient material 2t seating in the annular bearing cavity 2i in the end wall of the motor frame 22.

However, the novel feature of the upper shaft bearing construction is the incorporation of a support til for the' tubular brush holders lli, it.

As clearly shown in Figure 2, this brush holder support 29 preferably has the form of metal stamping consisting of a hat annular body portion having a central opening surrounded by a ange or sleeve dile drawn or extended axially in one direction and upwardly as shown in Figure 2, and a pair of diametrlcally opposed. llshaped collar forming elements 29h, till), 0E- set from the plane of the body portion. These U-shaped elements form the upper half of a pair of radially disposed collars which are completed by complementary U-shaped stampings 3d, t3@ which are screwed at 3i to the under face of the offset U-shaped portions 2th, 29h.

Now, referring again to Figurel 1 the position of the brush holder supporting plate fil will be pointed out. In the nrst place it assumes a position immediately below the upper end bearing i@ with its annular body portion lying in a horizontal plane just above the commutator il. Thus arranged, the annular flange 2da projects upwardly and between the ball bearing 2@ and the outer resilient collar ln the assembly operation the outer ball race of the ball bearing E@ is preferably assembled with a driving or press fit into the collar 2da of the brush holder sup-1 port 2Q and then the resilient collar 2t applied to the outside of said collar, with the result that the brush. holder becomes an integral part of the ball bearing and as a consequence is connected or supported by the motor frame 22 only through the intermediate resilient 'collar Ztl. Manifestly the tubular brush holders it, iii are clamped in the clamping collars 29h of the supporting plate so that they assume their normal radial positions in, the plane of the commutator and entirely free from contact of any sort with the motor frame 22.

Thus, it will be seen that any vibration or distortion produced in the armature shaft will tend to be absorbed by the resilient ring 2t rather than being transmitted to the motor frame 22 but sincel the brush holder supporting plate 2d is an integral part of the bearing assembly and not as herein disclosed, where the axis of the motor is vertical and the driving force is applied at a point below the lower end bearing. So far as the fan l is concerned, the resistance odered by the volume of air moved thereby is substantially constant at all times and its axis is coincident with that of the shaft on which it is mounted. But the driving of the agitator puts quite a dierent type of load on the motor inasmuch as the pull of the belt is transversely to the axis of rotation of the shaft and from a point removed some distance below the lower end bearing and tends to set up a' vibration in. the shaft which is likely to be magnied and amplied at the commutator end of the shaft. It follows therefore that where the brush holders are mounted on Vthe motor frame, as is the usual arrangement, the brushes would remain stationary while the commutator would be undergoing vibration or displacement from its normal axis of rotation. But with the brushes and their holders supported by and forming an Aintegral part of the bearing which supports the adjacent end of the armature shaft, and the entire bearing assembly resiliently mounted or supported in the solid rubber collar seating in the motor frame, produces an arrangement having the advantage of absorbing or dampening any vibration set up in the armature shaft, as well as practically malring the brush holders integral with the commutator in the sense that they bear a fixed relationship to each other under all conditions and thereby insuring proper brush contact and con sequently a minimum of brush wear.A

Having set forth a preferred embodiment of A.

the combined resilient end bearing and brush mounting assembly, I claim:

l. An electric motor comprising a frame, an armature shaft having bearings at the opposite ends of said frame and including a conunutator adjacent one end thereof, commutator brush holders disposed radially with respect to lsaid connnutator, a supporting member for said brush holders embracing the bearing at the commutator end of the armature shaft,vand a resilient member between said supporting member and the motor frame.

2. An electric motor comprising a frame, an. armature shaft having bearings at the opposite ends of said frame and including a commutator adjacent one end thereof, commutator brush holders disposed symmetrically with respect to said coxnmutator, a supporting member for sm'd brush holders having an annular portion surrounding the bearing at the commutator end of the shaft, and a ring of resilient material interq posed between said supporting member and the motor frame.

3. An electric motor comprising a frame, an armature shaft supported in bearings at the opposite ends of said frame and provided with a commutator adjacent one end thereof, the bear ing at the commutator end of said armature shaft including an anti-friction Abearing and a bearing retaining ring of resilient material seatl ing in the adjacent end of said frame, a pair oi commutator brushes, and brush holders supported by said bearing retaining ring.

4. An electric motor comprising a frame, an armature shaft supported in bearings at the opposite ends of said frame and provided with a commutator adjacent one end thereof, said bearings including anti-friction ball bearing units and resilient seats for said units supported in the ends of said motor frame, and a. brush .holder including a collar-like support surrounding the ball bearing unit and held within the resilient bearing seat at the commutator end vof said frame.

5. An electric motor comprising a frame, an

WILMER H. TUCKER. 

